The Quest for Red Snapper
by The6thAnon
Summary: Blathers wants to take a break from the monotony of the museum, but his quest for some tasty red snapper doesn't go as planned. One-shot.


Blathers adjusted his bowtie and took a look around the museum. The clock and its gold edges were perfectly shined. The lonely clank of dishes filtered through the room, blending with the clock's ticking. The soft sounds started to lull Blathers to sleep for the fifth time that hour. He forced his eyes open. Even though he was the only staff at the museum, there wasn't anything to do. All the recent donations had been curated and carefully arranged. He had fed the fish and bugs (from a careful distance) an hour ago.

Blathers tapped his tummy with a well-kept wing. Normally, he'd wait 'till nightfall to grab a snack, but the boredom made him feel a little restless. The only human in the town hadn't donated a single specimen in the past week. Why, the season had changed! There were dozens of new fish and butterflies to track down and catch in a single fluid motion of a net or fishing rod—the perfect adventure for a carefree kid. Yet no one had shown up with that tell-tale eager shimmer in their eyes. Blathers decided that it was time to change things up a bit.

It wasn't as if he never left the museum. He went for a short walk to Nookington's each day and peered around the store, looking for the perfect new lamp to light the aquarium or fossil halls. He always left empty handed, though, and his museum seemed incomplete when he returned.

Blathers left the museum and walked to Tom Nook's store. A thousand bells rattled in his pocket, not enough for any quality lamp, but Blathers wasn't after furniture. The door slid open, and the air inside chilled his feathers.

"Blathers!" Tom Nook walked over and hovered a foot away. "You're early today. What can I get for you?" He followed Blathers to the display of equipment. A shiny fishing rod sat on the edge, its line taught against the pole. He picked it up, unsure about how to measure its worth. "Yes, yes, a fine choice. And for only 500 bells, it's quite a bargain." Blathers ran a wing over the handle, and it fit into the center nicely. He could almost see himself reeling in a tasty fish…

"Hoo, 500?" He took out a few coins and put them in a bag, holding them out to Nook.

"Thanks much!" Blathers was too busy giving the pole a practice flick to notice. "Should I add a net and a shovel to complete the set?" The idea of digging up fossils was tempting, but the thought of touching bugs fresh from the net… Blathers shuddered.

"No, I don't think that would be necessary." Tom waved as Blathers stepped outside. Equipping the fishing rod, he gave a quick "hello" to Sable as she balanced some fabrics in her left paw. Blathers took a moment to decide where he wanted to fish. He'd been in the mood for some red snapper, and he of all owls knew where to find them. He made his way to the beach without any trouble. A white scallop brushed against one of his talons, and Blathers scanned the water, looking for a shadow, the sign of a fish's presence. He found one—slightly smaller than a sea bass—and he prepared to cast his rod, moving an untrained wing, only to hear a low buzzing sound. Dropping the equipment on the sand with a loud "Hoo HOO," Blathers spun around, trying to determine the source so he could flee in the most efficient manner. A small bee settled on the bobble and Blathers watched it with a timid fascination. The creature had a few unsightly stripes and a pointy thing out of its back. It leaped from the fishing rod, and Blathers wasted no time in running from what was, undoubtedly, an attack. Unaware of his surroundings, he bumped into a nearby tree, and an apple landed on his head.

"Blathers?" A sweet voice interrupted him as he cradled his head between two wings. "What're you doing here?" Blathers jumped to his feet at the sound of his sister's voice.

"Celeste! Watch out! There is a beast with a formidable stinger about these parts! You must be careful." Celeste gave a soft laugh, and Blathers sputtered indignantly. "It's true! And might I ask what you are doing so far from home? Not meeting an admirer, are we?" Blathers asked sternly, all talk of the buzzing monstrosity abandoned. A soft blush covered Celeste's face.

"Please, you're teasing me. I'll never get a boyfriend if you keep being so protective!" Celeste straightened her feathers and took out a fish. "I was trying to bring you some red snapper, so…" Blathers perked up and took her wing.

"Why didn't you say so? Let's cook it right away, hoo!" The two headed back to the museum, about to fill the museum with chatter and good food.

Tom Nook took a quick look around the beach before rushing to the rod, picking it up and carefully removing it of sand. He pocketed it and scurried back to the shop.

Another would surely buy it.


End file.
